1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional information detecting system for detecting three-dimensional information about a position, directions and the like of an input device in a three-dimensional space, a three-dimensional information detecting device for detecting three-dimensional information about the aforementioned input device in the above-described three-dimensional information detecting system, and an input device for the three-dimensional information system for inputting three-dimensional information in the three-dimensional information detecting system. The three-dimensional information systems include a motion capture system for detecting position information about a plurality of input elements that are connected with each other. A detecting device for the motion capture corresponds to the three-dimensional information detecting device, and an input device for the motion capture corresponds to the input device for three-dimensional information detecting system.
2. Description of the Related Art
To date, three-dimensional information detecting systems, such as motion capture systems, that digitally capture human motion and the like, and that reproduce them on a computer, have been developed to apply to various fields including medical care, sports, games, etc. (see patent documents such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-132323, 2000-231638, and 2000-321044)
Prior art motion capture systems include optical types and mechanical types.
For example, an optical type motion capture system is arranged to attach light-reflectors such as mirrors to a human joints, and detects, by sensors, reflected light from the light-reflectors that occurs when a person moves in a darkroom, thereby reading human motion. On the other hand, a mechanical type motion capture system is arranged to detect human motion and read them by using a plurality of rotary encoders.
Inputting outputs of the motion capture system into a computer allows images displayed on the computer to be moved in correspondence with human motion, or enables the observation of human motion.
Optical type motion capture systems require a darkroom or the like, and so the system becomes large and expensive.
On the other hand, a mechanical type motion capture system requires a large number of rotary encoders, and so becomes complicated, expensive and susceptible to equipment failure.